Derby businesses show ‘concern’ over 35,000 sq ft office scheme
The long-running saga of a planned Derby office scheme has taken another twist after it received planning consent by the City Council despite objections from two high-profile businesses in the city.
Some 35,000 sq ft of office space over four storeys have been given the go-ahead on the last vacant site on Locomotive Way on Pride Park, adjacent to the Manufacturing University building, Pentahotel and College Johnson Building.
Plans for developing the last vacant site on Pride Park go back to 2006 when Derby City Council gave the go-ahead for an office and hotel development on the site, along with residential and a National Rail Centre. These plans were ditched around the time of recession as the proposed occupiers pulled out of the deal.
A new occupier has now been found by the developer, ESS Derby.
However, the new scheme has come under fire for its car parking provision, among other things, from Peter Gadsby’s Ark Capital which has its headquarters nearby and owns a number of properties nearby.
In a letter to Derby City Council dated 4 July 2016, Ark Capital said: “Parking ratios for out of town developments should 1 space/30 sqm and even at this ratio, there is generally insufficient parking for most occupiers on Pride Park. On the proposal by the developer this would equate to 108 car parking spaces, however only 79 are included in the proposal. The Park and Ride is some distance from the building and we doubt whether this would be used by its occupiers. As such as we are concerned that this lack of parking will inevitably lead to fly parking on adjacent sites and side roads, a problem that we have regularly suffered from at The Point development.
“The height of the building is not in keeping with the surrounding buildings, including the adjacent Penta Hotel.
“The proposed elevational treatments are of low quality, both in terms of design and choice of materials and add nothing to the high quality appearance of the overall business park.”
Meanwhile, Kate North from Porterbrook Leasing, emailed the City Council, saying: “Whilst we have always been aware of the planning application for further office buildings in the area, it is clear that the provision of car parking for the building in question is insufficient for the size of the building proposed, and this will only add to the acute parking issue that is currently the case on Pride Park, and particularly in the area of Pinnacle Way.
“It is for this reason that we would express our reservations regarding the plans as they currently stand.”
With this in mind, Derby City Council has imposed a number of conditions on the development on the scheme, the main one being: “The occupier shall commence work on a survey of travel to work practises and needs and proceed to prepare and submit to the Local Planning Authority within six months a Plan (a “Green Travel Plan”) designed to encourage travel to work and in connection with work other than by private car. Such plan shall include provision for monitoring, development of targets with annual review of achievements, and revision of its provisions for a period of five years from its first submission.”
The offices will be designed by CAD Design of Manchester.
